Opportunity
Program Description
Opportunity programming supports students with mild cognitive disabilities and significant academic delays gain skills for future independent living and employment.
Goals
- Improve academic and independent living skills
- Develop employment skills for students in junior or senior high
Benefits
- Application of strategies for studying, remembering and organizing information
- Improved work and study skills
Program delivery
- Positive and supportive learning environment
- Emphasis on literacy and math instruction in elementary grades
- Slower pace of instruction
- Flexible instruction based on students' needs and abilities
- Visual aids, specific examples and hands-on activities
- Smaller classes for more targeted instruction
Alberta curriculum
All Edmonton Public Schools programming is based on curriculum determined by Alberta Education. Students enrolled in the Opportunity program will receive the same high-quality education offered in all of our programs.
Transportation
Most schools offering special education needs programming have some yellow busing options available. For more information about busing, contact your child’s school or call Student Transportation at 780-429-8585.
INTERACTIONS
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Interactions programming supports students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD impacts how people understand what they see, hear and sense. This lifelong disability can result in difficulties in communication, social relationships, behaviour or learning. Although some students with ASD achieve at grade level, many have uneven or delayed achievement.
GOALS
- Improve communication, social interaction and behaviour while developing academic skills
BENEFITS
- Demonstrate growth in communication skills
- Demonstrate growth in building and maintaining relationships, and understanding social situations
- Demonstrate growth in managing frustration and problem-solving
- Improved ability to handle change or challenging emotions (e.g., anxiety)
- Development of life skills to support independent living and employment
PROGRAM DELIVERY
- Structured environment with regular routines
- Smaller classes for more targeted instruction
- Visual aids, concrete examples and hands-on activities
- Frequent praise and other meaningful rewards to help students adopt positive behaviours and attitudes
- Opportunities to join other classes for instruction in a student’s areas of strength
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for programming, students must be:
- 5 ½ to 19 years old on September 1
- Clinically diagnosed with ASD
- Demonstrating stereotyped behaviours, and have severe impairment in social interactions and communication
Contact your child’s school for information about eligibility and specialized programming options.
ALBERTA CURRICULUM
All Edmonton Public Schools programming is based on curriculum determined by Alberta Education. Students enrolled in Interactions will receive the same high-quality education offered in all of our programs.
TRANSPORTATION
Most schools offering specialized programming have some yellow busing options available. For more information about busing, contact your child’s school or call Student Transportation at 780-429-8585.
